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Looking back 30 years later, 1994 is still my favorite year of music EVER! I get it, some may say there were better years in the '60s, '70s, or '80s. Heck, some will even say that '94 wasn't even the best year of music in the '90s.
I dunno? There was something about this year. The variety of different music, the new artists that emerged, and the bending of genres set the stage for a 19-year old like me to soak it all up.
Yes, Kurt Cobain’s suicide left behind a huge void, but the creative landscape Nirvana helped cultivate left the world of music in good hands—at least for the next few years.
1994 was the peak intersection of time between a thriving, artistic, free-thinking music scene, and the eventual watered-down version of what it became to close out the decade.
Anyway, I could on and on about 1994, but listening to the music from this year will take you back in time a lot quicker.
And hence, a mixtape was born.
Here are the ground rules for 1994: The Album:
Because the output of music was so overwhelmingly great, I knew I had to limit myself. Piecing together 19 tracks of 94 minutes of music seemed thematically appropriate, and even though I had a decent amount of time to play with, a lot of great artists/songs did not make the cut.
Amazingly, keep in mind, this is not a best-of-decade mix, although it sure does sound like it, huh?
In my adult life, I’ve tried to keep most of my mixtapes free of curses, so you can listen freely with your children around, but it was mighty difficult for this project. So, in the true spirit of the profanity-filled ‘90s I decided to let the f-bombs fly freely. (That was your Parental Advisory warning.)
Every song you hear on this mix was either released as a single or on an album in 1994, or peaked, charted heavily, or was in constant rotation on MTV and radio. In other words, this entire mix, media clips and all, could have been created in 1994.
I first put out this mix in 2014, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of this landmark music year, and I recently made a few tweaks and dusted it off to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of 1994.
Enjoy!
*This is the one-track podcast version of the mix. If you want to see where the tracks break up, follow along below:
- Longview of the Vaseline ("Bad Habit," The Offspring)
- Oh My Gosh ("Oh My God," A Tribe Called Quest)
- Let Freedom Roll ("What Is Love," Haddaway)
- The Day I Tried To Lose ("The Day I Tried To Live," Soundgarden)
- Shoop 'Em Up ("Shoop," Salt-n-Peppa)
- Seething with Flava ("Blind," Korn)
- Doggy Sweater ("Live Forever," Oasis)
- Hobo Humpin' Liar Creep ("Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe," Whale)
- Backwater Saints ("All Apologies," Nirvana)
- Violently Real ("Regulate," Warren G feat. Nate Dogg)
- Mmm Mmm ("Bus to Beelzebub," Soul Coughing)
- Mr. Nasir Jones ("Strangers," Portishead)
- Bang Bang Blame Blame ("If I Only Had a Brain," MC 900 Ft. Jesus)
- Fall Around ("Run-Around," Blues Traveler)
- Little Self Esteem ("Self Esteem," The Offspring)
- Strongman ("I Alone," Live)
- Hootie Hoo ("Girls & Boys," Blur)
- What's The Score? ("Don't Call Me White," NOFX)
- The Shepherd ("March of Pigs," Nine Inch Nails)
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